cats don't always land on their feet (soraru and mafumafu story)

18

it seemed like i slept through the whole day again. my alarm woke me up and i had to get ready for school. i snoozed my alarm, not wanting to get up right away. i dangled my arm off the bed and stared at nothing. my stomach hurt and i didn't feel like getting up at all, but unfortunately i had to.

i snoozed my alarm about 5 times before realizing i was late and i jumped out of bed and quickly got ready. i rushed out of the house and headed to mafu's. agh, i hope he hasn't been waiting long, i thought as i ran. as i approached, i remembered how he said he wasn't coming today. i stood in his driveway, lost in thought. i walked towards the door and knocked. i figured i'd ask one last time if he needed help with anything, or just to check if he had changed his mind to come to school. i waited, but there was no answer. he's probably still sleeping, maybe i'll just call him at lunch or stop by after school, i thought.

walking to the bus stop alone was an unfamiliar feeling. i had gotten so used to walking with him every morning, it felt wrong being without him. even before the days, we walked together, we'd always meet at the bus stop and catch the bus together. mafu never missed school, unlike me who used to always skip class. over the many years, he helped me understand the importance of attending classes everyday, unless i physically was unable to. he was always on top of his work and got pretty good marks, i was always inspired by him. he taught me all the tips and tricks to studying and acing assignments. some years, him and i had some of the highest marks in the class.
however, i had noticed a bit of a decline in his organization over the past little while. his marks had significantly dropped despite the hours we spend studying together. his marks were still high enough to pass his classes, but not nearly as good as they used to be. and yet, he didn't seem too bothered by it? it's almost like he gave up more and more as each test passed by, almost assuming he was gonna fail each one and accepting it. before, he would flip out and work extra hard for the next test. it felt weird seeing him like this.

i sat alone on the bus. it was a little unsettling. i always had social anxiety and being alone in public never sat right with me. mafu and i have always done everything together since we first became friends many years ago. he helped me get out of my shell and become more comfortable going out and doing things. he's helped me through so much and i owe a lot to him. and especially in the recent times due to the incident he had, we were never apart. i felt so wrong, and alone without my best friend right by my side.

i leaned back against the shaky window of the bus and closed my eyes. my stomach hurt and my head was spinning, i just wanted the day to be over so i could check in on mafu.

***

as soon as i sat down in first-period class, sou asked where mafu was. he seemed concerned. we talked for a bit but my mind felt preoccupied with a million other foggy thoughts.

i sat next to mafu in second and third periods. it felt strange having an empty desk beside me. i felt lonely. i had a bad feeling in my stomach that grew as the day progressed, and i felt i didn't have a reason to smile. lunch was uneventful. i was excluded from the fun topics the friend group chatted about, not that i really minded tho. sou and amatsuki tried getting me involved but i just wanted some time to think some things over.

by the time fourth period ended, my mind was so exhausted from overthinking every little possibility for mafus actions. i fell asleep on the bus and nearly missed my stop. i walked by mafu's house and stopped at the driveway again. hesitantly, i approached the door and knocked. no answer. i tried again. still nothing. i pulled out my phone to try calling him.

ring... ring... ring...

"hello?" mafus voice said quietly on the phone.
"mafu! how's it going?"
"hmmm okay i suppose."
"i'm at your house. where are you?"
"you're at my hou-? why??" he said in confusion.
"well i stopped by this morning to see you but you didn't answer the door so i wanted to see you now," i explained.
"ahh yeah, i thought i heard the door this morning, aha! i was still sleeping, sorry about that!! and i'm currently out running some errands. i probably won't be back for a while, sorry.."
"ah, okay. is there anything i can do for you?"
"nope. but thank you. i need to really focus on some stuff for a little while. i prob won't be able to answer my phone or talk at all, sorry."
"no need to apologize, just know i'm here if there's anything at all i can do for you. you can call, text, or even come by my place at any time. i'll always be able to help you out. i'm always here for you!"
"thank you..."
"of course. alright, let's talk later then."
"yeah.. i'll try," he said hanging up.

i looked at my phone, then at his front door again. i turned to walk back home. i walked quickly, i wanted more than anything to just be home.

***